350,000 renters put at risk of eviction in the last year

More than 148,000 renting households in England – equivalent to 350,000 renters – were put at risk of losing their home in the past year, new figures from housing charity Shelter have revealed.

The analysis of statistics from the Ministry of Justice found that Enfield and Barking and Dagenham topped the list with one in 23 rented homes under threat of eviction. This was followed by Havering and Croydon, with one in 27 at risk.

However, Shelter said it was a problem that stretches “far beyond London”. Areas such as Luton, Thurrock and Peterborough also made it into the country’s top twenty ‘home threat hotspots’.

The number of people facing eviction who are coming to Shelter for advice is also rising. In the past year over 9,800 people facing eviction have called the Shelter helpline for advice and 500,000 people have visited the Shelter website’s eviction advice pages.

Nadeem Khan, helpline adviser for Shelter, said: “Every day at Shelter we hear from people who are struggling to keep up with their rent, many in total desperation after the court papers land on their doormat and the threat of being evicted becomes very real.

“It’s natural to feel overwhelmed, but remember you’re not alone – Shelter is here 365 days a year. So if you’re struggling to keep up, or facing eviction and not sure what to do next, get expert advice as soon as possible. It can be the difference between losing your home and keeping it.”

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “The latest quarterly figures show that all stages of landlord repossessions have gone down compared to the same time last year.

“We’ve introduced measures to ensure tenants get a fair deal, are aware of their rights and are protected from retaliatory evictions.

“We’ve also doubled the housing budget and are investing £8 billion to build 400,000 affordable homes, including quality homes for rent.”

New research from Your Move and Reeds Rains has found that fewer tenants are falling into arrears as a result of an improving employment market.

According to the letting agents, just 86,200 tenants across the UK are more than two months behind in their rent in the first quarter compared to 89,300 in the previous quarter.

Separate data from the Ministry of Justice shows that the number of people evicted from rental accommodation in 2015 was 42,728, the highest since records began in 2000.

Tenant evictions have gone up 53% since 2010, the equivalent of over 250 people losing their home each day.